Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Ala Moana Shopping Center

Honolulu, Hawaii - circa 1960s

This is an old image I had hanging around my hard drive. Don't remember where I got it--probably snagged it off of ebay or the web somewhere a long time ago. Though the quality kind of stinks, since I haven't yet been able to pick up a nice replacement for this "placeholder" image (I have a folder full of those), I've done my best to spruce it up and am going ahead and sharing it as-is. If I ever get a better version I'll do a repost.

In this aerial view of Ala Moana Center, we get yet another view and angle of the Sears anchor side (see the previous entry links below for more looks at it). The Pacific Ocean and Ala Moana Regional Park, both sit just off to the right of this view.

Almost every shot or vintage era postcard I come across of this mall, is taken from roughly this same angle and side, never from the opposite end--even when you can't see Diamond Head, like in this one. I know they probably just stuck with this side because they could use the mountains and sprawling heart of downtown Honolulu (and usually Diamond Head) as an impressive backdrop, but it would nice to see this mall from the other side once in a while. I still have a few more Ala Moana shots to share eventually, and they're all from this same end, save one, which is a side view.

Actually, I don't see many vintage interior photos or postcards floating around much, either, unfortunately (I have maybe one or two). To Ala Moana, it's clear, it was all about the view, in the old days anyway. Which is understandable, I guess. :) Aloha!

Guessing by that shadow in the foreground, your pics are probably all taken from the top of the same tall building.

For me, I had always wondered why I kept seeing the same angle shot of downtown Pittsburgh until I visited there one day and realized that across the river to the south there is a huge hill you can take great pics from.